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ALSO NOTE: If you're wondering why I'm listening to all Kenji Kawai music lately---Mamoru Oshii (Yes, THAT Mamoru Oshii of Ghost in the Shell/Sky Crawlers/Jin-Roh fame) often says he can't write stories if Kenji Kawai isn't composing music for it, so I thought I'd give it a shot---pretty dang good music to listen to, but I'm still having trouble

“They should’ve known better before they even came here! We have our own problems to settle!”

“Houki!”

At the call of her name, and a very loud one at that, Houki freezes. Far out of the Silver Gospel’s reach, she hovers in place staring at Ichika as the autonomous IS continues to rain energy bits upon him. At that point in time, all that’s in her mind is ‘Why…? Why do you insist to protect them…?’ while Ichika is frantically swatting the energy bits away to cover the boat’s escape. It is then Houki realizes; Ichika has always been the one to look out for the ones in need, including her when she was being bullied at a young age.

Fazed by her own thoughts, Houki is now an open target herself to the Silver Gospel. The rouge IS ceases its attack on Ichika and immediately aims at the Akatsubaki. Its giant wings swing up to its sides as it begins to charge up a growing ball of pure energy.

“Oh no…!”

Protection being his one and sole priority, Ichika rushes for Houki, reaching out his arm to her without even thinking of the consequences, as he would always.

“HOUKI!”

His low yet loud yell snaps her into reality, confused and unfocused as she tries to make sense of the immediate situation. Houki catches sight of the distant Silver Gospel charging up a ball of energy above its head then sees the Byakushiki flying directly towards her.

“I-Ichika…?”

“I’ll make it…!”

*BYUUSH*

The Silver Gospel triggers its charged energy ball which then fires as a bright, thick energy beam towards the Akatsubaki. The blinding light catches her off guard and no options to escape the oncoming beam but Ichika arrives and rams her out of the line of fire, quickly putting up both arms across his front in a last-ditch attempt to block the attack. The beam smashes head-on into the Byakushiki and violently explodes into an equally-blinding ball of inferno which engulfs Ichika.

*KABOOOM*

The horrific sight of her own childhood friend engulfed in searing flames sends a very sharp chill down her spine; she’s at loss for words and she has just witnessed an IS displaying a powerful anti-IS attack unlike anything she has ever seen from when she is in the Academy. The scene was too much for her to bear and tears begin to form on her pearly eyes.

EDIT:
@Hawke
Sometimes videogame music tend to do the trick too! I'm hearing to this while writing out the first round of Minerva-vs-Replica Jabbers:

"You cannot be bad at watching a movie. You cannot be bad at listening to an album.
...But you can be bad at playing a videogame, and the game will punish you and deny you access to the rest of the videogame."

"Simple." The firm sound of a fan slammed shut accompanied Tatenashi's
new tack. "Do you want Tatenashi-onee-chan to pass on your love letters
to him?"

"Do that and I'll cut open your throat where you stand."

"Oh, but I'm seated." Sarashiki chuckled again.

"Fine. I'll cut you open before you stand."

"Really, you." The cat's smile finally fell from Tatenashi's face. It
was a dance of words, one with serious consequences. "What's a little
joke between friends?"

"We're not friends."

Not at all like cat and mouse. It was between cobra and mongoose.

Tatenashi opened up her fan again, cooling herself against in the summer
heat.

Or was it to hide her frustration?

The park remained empty, as both young women ceased moving. No words for
that moment, as they kept guarded expressions.

It was a fight. Of wits and words.

"Since you're also in IS Academy as a student," [Ren] began the next
round, but with more tension in her voice. "You don't have as much
freedom to act behind the scenes."

"Oh, the Student Council President does have that freedom," Sarashiki's
smile returned, but her eyes remained focused on [Ren]. "You, on the
other hand? You have no access to the academy itself. Can you protect
Orimura when you're on the outside?"

"There was that incident with the Golem attacking IS Academy." [Ren]
snapped back, with a little more emotion than she wanted to reveal. "I
didn't see you doing anything about that."

"Couldn't be helped. That was before my IS [Mysterious Lady] was
completed." Tatenashi's casual shrug showed how light of a threat it
was. "And the Golem wasn't something you could handle, anyway."

"You don't know that."

Sarashiki's raised eyebrow said all. "Knives. Against a Golem."

[Ren] had no response.

"Which brings me to three points." Tatenashi's smile wavered the thin
line between charm and threat as she held up her index finger. "First:
Guarding Orimura from the shadows has not been very effective."

"I'm sure Mr Cousseran and his group would beg to differ."

"Second." Sarashiki raised a second finger. "I plan to make Orimura
Ichika aware of me."

There was a flash of crimson across [Ren]'s face. "Like hell."

"Whatever works. Whatever it takes." Sarashiki threw [Ren]'s words back
at her. And then in a tone both joking and serious: "It would be easier
to protect someone if you're right beside him. Morning, noon, and
night."

[Ren]'s eyes promised cold death.

"Third." Sarashiki's voice lowered, as she went for the kill. "You won't
be able to handle an IS in a head-on fight."

"I won't need to."

"You can't guarantee that."

[Ren] replied with dead silence, but Tatenashi could see the girl's lips
lose color and tighten.

But you know the best about our loved ones? Our FRICKING loved ones! They always come up and fucking BLINDSIDE you. They go up to me and say "Eras, who the frick is it going to be? Them or me? ME OR THEM!?" Like I have to make a fricking decsion.

...and before you ask, my REAL LIFE IS LIKE THAT VIDEO. So yes, this is why my writing and everythign I do is---nuts.

EDIT: Yes, my real life is me running around like a dark mysterious secret agent occasionally interrupted by sudden visions of Dancing Kim-Jong Il with an inflatable sex toy tied to a dentists chair...

Not going to imagine that or even click that link... That's just... wow.

And I'm finally done with (a portion of) the last scene in the current chapter I'm working on

Spoiler for Retreating...?:

“Tch… Give up already…!”

The Replicas suddenly receives instructions from an unknown source to retreat, the coincidence could not have been much more convenient for Inami who raises a brow upon seeing the drones slowly reversing then turning away from him completely.

He rests the buster sword’s tip on the ground, puzzled by the sudden shift in the drones’ behavior; Almost an hour ago, the Replica Jabbers were hell-bent on terminating him before going for the Academy, heedless of the damages they’ve sustained unlike now where they simply retreated as though they have completely given up on their objective.

Inami checks on the Minerva’s system; its armor integrity is well within the green range while its barrier power is down to sixty percent and slowly replenishing.

“Moderate barrier damage but the unit’s armor integrity is still in top-notch condition.”

“-Good, that means we don’t have to pull you back here to get it repaired. Remain on standby at Chiba, I have a feeling that they’ll be back… Also…-”

“What is it?”

“-Our satellite picked up a powerful explosion about fifty clicks east of Choshi’s coastline.-”

An explosion, if it is anything short of a military exercise, is bad news to anyone’s ears. Given the area’s no-fishing rule, it would be very odd to even have a lone oil tanker passing by despite being a probable source of the explosion. Nevertheless, he is stunned by the news and remains silent while Gerald resumes.

“-I’ll get to the point, Arisawa. We have a rogue Infinite Stratos on the loose. Codenamed Silver Gospel, the United States’ prototype IS went berserk days ago and has been reported to be heading for mainland Japan… and it seems the Academy attempted to intercept it.-”

“What…? But aren’t they’re just—?”

“-They didn’t have any choice it seems. While you were fending off the replicas we noticed two IS were sent to intercept the Gospel off the coast… The two retreated after the explosion and the Silver Gospel was heading north-east before it disappeared from our sights.-”

“Optical camouflage?”

“-Most likely. In any case, return to Chiba and get some rest, you’ve done well holding the replicas from reaching the Academy. We’ll ring you up if anything else crops up.-”

As instructed, Inami ascends to the sky and purges the Type One from his back where it automatically transforms into its primary platform flight mode. He lands on the Type One and immediately makes his way back to the Katami Dojo, growing concerned for the well-being of the Academy personnel that has been sent to intercept the Silver Gospel.

__________________

"You cannot be bad at watching a movie. You cannot be bad at listening to an album.
...But you can be bad at playing a videogame, and the game will punish you and deny you access to the rest of the videogame."

Anyone remember that Cecilia one shot with the bodyguard? I was just wondering if Cecilia would ever incur some sort of penalty for trashing a brand spanking new BT-03, which was conveniently in the hands of a terrorist?